No signal and low battery
by CSSNDRSTN
Summary: Okay, here it is, you’re bored with school, you’re bored with your friends, you’re bored with your family. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t throw yourself into a new love under those circumstances, even though your lovely brother dislikes him. AH, AU, 2nd gen
1. Teaser

_Teaser._

* * *

_I remember grabbing some kind of bottle in my right hand. My palm was kind of slick, but it just made me grip tighter, so I was sure I wouldn't drop the precious glass in my hand._

_I giggled, feeling both dizzy and high at the same time._

_The light was dim, so I couldn't see whose arm I was leaning against._

_"Should we go somewhere else?" I called. It seemed like nobody was hearing me. And then I realised that they probably shouldn't be able to hear either. The music was real loud here, and my voice was a little weird and weak. Didn't know why, but that's how it was._

_I turned to the person beside me. I swayed slightly but then got a hold of my balance again. I snickered victorious. Take that, mom's genes!_

_"Should we go somewhere else?" I screamed in her ear. She stumbled and I stumbled after her._

_"Yeah, sure." She giggled. she had also a bottle in her hand. Cool. It looked like some kind of champagne, too. Even cooler. "Where d'you wanna go?"_

_"Out." I huffed, the noise in here was starting to get boring. "Let's go, come on." I jerked the girl I didn't even know the name of to come with me._

_When I turned around next, a couple of guys and some girls were tagging along too. I grinned. The more the merrier._

_"I LOVE NEW YORK!" I screamed when we hit the streets. Cheers from all around agreed with me. "MY NAME'S AURORA CULLEN, AND I'M PERFECT!"_

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_The only way of getting inside her head again is to review or alert._


	2. Fluorescent Adolescent part 1

Maybe it's a bit overworked, maybe it's not.  
However, i like it. And it's not that much of a Twilight-fanfic frankly.  
There won't be much of Bellward, since they're parents, and this is about their daughter.  
But i hope you like my version of the second, or third, depends on how you count, generation of Cullens.  
And i'm also glad you gave it a chance, since i know i suck at summeries.

And yes, i love Arctic Monkeys.  
You'll see a lot of that in the chapters.

I really hope you'll like it.

* * *

**Fluorescent Adolescent part 1**

_Discarded all the naughty nights for niceness _

_Landed in a very common crisis_

A chair got pulled out beside me.

"Alice!" I gasped. "What are you doing here?" My friends turned silent, and just stared at her. My aunt smiled wide at me, removing the enormous sunshades from her face. "Where's Jazz?" It was weird seeing one without the other. Alice and Jasper were not two person, they were one. Almost like my parents.

"He's working, of course." She said. "What did you think? That I can't bare a second without him?" I laughed, and drank my coke.

"Yeah, something like that."

"You are much too like your parents." She sighed, shaking her head. I laughed again. My friends started to whisper behind me.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot. Guys, this is my aunt Alice. Alice these are my friends, Penny, Vi and Liz." I pointed at them in order and they waved and smiled awkwardly.

"Hi, girls. Nice finally meeting you." I had forgotten that Alice was overexcited about everything.

"So, what are you doing here, Alice?" I interrupted before she could distract me. She gave me a hard glance when she found herself being obligated to answer instead of chatting with my friends.

"Your parents are taking you somewhere this summer." She muttered.

"What?" I gasped. "Just me? How about my brother?" I glanced over to the end of the café where I knew he was sitting with _his _friends. Alice just waved her tiny hand in my face.

"Of course he'll come along to. The thing is, that I think I should warn you."

"Why?" I said, my eyes narrow.

"Oh, you look so much like your mother doing that." She chimed.

"Alice."

"Okay, well, I don't think you're going to like it. And when they decide they won't go back. You know how they are." I knew all too well how they were. I've lived in the same house for seventeen years!

"Okay, thanks, but won't you tell me were they're taking us? So I can prepare more properly, I mean." Alice just shook her head and smiled.

"I can't tell you that."

"Why?" I frowned, if she'd come this far to just warn me, then she should be able to tell everything.

"Cause they don't even know they're going somewhere yet." This was just too much. No, scratch that. This was just too Alice. I loved my aunt and all, but I didn't like the cryptic part of her.

"Alice." I groaned. "Stop doing that."

"What?" She smiled. Then she frowned. "Where's Bee, by the way, shouldn't she be with you?"

"She's got art." Bee was my cousin, and Alice' daughter. We shared almost every class and were very close friends, but today she had art during my lunch hour, so she wasn't able to sit with us.

Alice smiled. "That's my daughter." She said proudly. But then her face turned blank. "Oh no." She whispered, staring over my shoulder. "Sorry about this, love, but I gotta go. Say hi to your mom for me. Bye girls." She pushed her sunshades on again and ran away. I turned to look after her when I saw her disappearing out through the door. Not so far away in the café three girls my age stared after her, their cell phones in hand.

Oh, that was probably what was scaring Alice. She wasn't that fond of teenaged fans never shutting up about her designs. Alice took great pride in her fame and the praise her clothes got, but it could be a little too much some times. Even for her.

I sighed, turning back to my lunch.

"I can't believe that we finally actually got to me your aunt, Echo." Vi gasped.

"Stop calling me that." I regretted and always would, that they'd found out about my middle names. They just wouldn't stop teasing or calling me by them.

"I know, I almost thought you'd made up all about your family and stuff." Penny giggled. I rolled my eyes at them.

"You wish I had!" I groaned. "Alice can be impossible. You do not want to spend a family weekend with her."

"I admire her works, I do, but I can see why she'd be a little tiresome." Liz was the only one being reasonable, according to me.

"What really amazes me is that Bee is able to stay sane with a mother like that." I mused.

"Hey, sis." I turned around. "Was that just aunt Alice?" She would kill him if she heard the way he made that sound all old.

"Yup." I said.

"Weird, seeing her out of her studio, don't you think. And without Jazz."

"I know." I didn't like the fact that the entire café was listening to my brother and I. But he had been stupid enough to cry out across the room, so I had just to put up with it.

"What did she want?" I just shrugged and turned back to my drooling friends.

I smacked Vi to make a statement.

"Can you guys stop drooling over my brother!" I hissed.

"But he's hot." Vi whined and rubbed her arm.

"Yes I know." I winced at my own words.

"Wow, that sounded weird." Liz laughed, once again the first one to regain composure.

"Yes I know." I breathed again and rubbed my forehead. "What I meant was, sure, you think he's hot but I don't really like you all drooling over him and undressing him with your mind or whatever you're doing right now, PENNY!" I smacked the next arm since the owner hadn't listened to me, just kept staring at my brother.

A sigh from her and Vi told me that I just gave them ideas.

"Hey! Guys! Focus, okay. Or I'll tell him."

My brother, my cousins and I all went to the same school in New York. It was quite posh and snobbish, just looking at the tailor-sewn uniforms and designer bags and you could tell that everyone at our school had money. My family weren't that special, if you do not count our parents and that we all seemed to have some talent. And with talent I mean, a genius. Mine was films. I'd always been interested in it, and by my 11th birthday, my dad got me my first video camera. That was now one of my dearest treasures, even though it was broken and I had replaced it with something better. But I loved the old thing.

My brother's was music. He'd inherited that from my father, who couldn't be more proud of his son than when he sat by the piano. It might have started when I was about 4, and my brother was 5 and saw my father play. He hadn't stepped many feet away from it since then.

I had promised that I'd make every music video he'd have and even the film about his life someday. He made me swear on our lives. I was sure he held me tight to that promise still.

But when we started high school it all changed. My brother and I had always been close; our parents had encouraged us to play with each other and with our cousins.

They weren't really my cousins anymore, they'd never been. We were all siblings. We were all Cullens, except Bee who technically was a Cullen but whose last name was Whitlock.

We were six, the youngest generation of Cullens (and Whitlocks). My brother and I, Bee, or Briony, the twins Tiger and Leon and their sister, Ava. Mom told me once that we were like our parents had been when they were young, only they were in love. But we were just siblings and was comfortably with that.

But ever since we started high school, we'd all slide apart. Ava and I were both in the cheerleading squad and Bee and I had classes together, so we stayed together, but the boys. The twins were still close with my brother, since they were all the same age, but that was about it.

Two years in for me and Bee and they didn't even speak to us if they didn't have something to say. They'd never been sitting with us. But that just made it easier for me to see.

My friends and I had started calling it the Cullen syndrome for fun. The look almost all the girls in our school had when one of the twins or my brother entered the room. The look of desire and something close to love. But just the adoring kind that people used to look at Backstreet Boys with.

While the twins had just shrugged it off, they were a bit like their father at that point. Uncle Emmett had always been good-looking, but every time he'd gotten an offer he just declined it politely. Except for Rose, he's wife, of course. She could make him do everything she wanted.

But my brother hadn't Emmett and Rose for his parents. Instead he'd been blessed, or cursed according to himself, with dad's face, eyes and hair but mom's clumsiness, shyness and awkwardness. I had been told that it was almost impossible for children to have green eyes if one of the parents had brown, but then my brother and I had to be something very special, since we both had dad's green eyes when mom had brown.

Even I considered my brother the most good-looking boy in school, but I was his sister and not to be trusted. I had seen pictures of dad when he was our age, and it was freaky how alike father and son were. I wondered how all the grown-ups were able to handle it.

Since my brother was so good-looking, talented and smart, he gained even more attention then the twins. The way he couldn't walk over a flat surface without breaking every bone in his body didn't make things easier either. Thankfully he'd been equipped with mom's fast tongue, so he could handle himself. But most girls just found that even more attractive. There had been times when there actually had been so many girls stalking him from class to class that dad had accepted to call him in sick and then took him out for a concert.

That's my dad and brother for you.

And the only way of making my friends' minds stay out of the gutter also known as fantasies about my brother, was to threaten them that he'd find out.

He was known to not date, and especially not high school girls, according to the rumour. Being his sister I knew he didn't date at all. He wasn't the least interested.

But they kept thinking, if he didn't find out that they liked him, he would like them first and then everything would just happen.

That was just wishful thinking. Since they kept stalking him it was obvious for him who had a little softer spot from him than the others. I guess all high school girls are hypocrites.

All of my friends immediately turned away from my brother.

Yeah, maybe I was a little protective of him. But I didn't care. He was my brother, and who cared about age, I wanted to protect him even though he was older.

"Hey! Sis!" It was he again.

"Yeah?" I turned in my chair, only to find a cell phone on it's way towards me.

"Catch." He yelled. And I did. Might be the football-genes from Emmett. I hoped not.

"Who is it?"

"Mom. She wants to talk to you." I pressed the phone to my ear.

"Yeah?" I asked, weary. If mom called at school, it would be bad.

"Aurora February Echo Cullen!" Okay, that was, I admit, all my names. Aurora is my first name, which everyone calls me by, except from my friends of course. It means dawn. Apparently I was the dawn in dad's life when he finally had a daughter. February is my second name since I was born in February and mom liked it. Echo, since both of them enjoy ancient culture way too much. It is pretty sad having that name, though. Since the Echo in the story died from heartbreak, and didn't even get to heaven, or "Hades", properly. The only name I actually liked was Aurora, and Cullen of course. Aurora was the name of Sleeping Beauty in the Disney film, and it had always made me feel like a princess. To be true, I was sort of a princess.

"Yes?" I whispered since mom had yelled at me. She was obviously ticked.

"Why do I get a phone call from your principal saying you've skipped two classes this morning, again?" I opened my mouth to explain, but then closed it again. I figured she wouldn't be so happy with me if I told her the truth.

This morning the most perfect sun had risen over Manhattan, and I couldn't stop myself. I knew it wasn't a weekend, but I had collected the entire cast anyway and shot one scene for a movie I was working with. It had taken far too long, and in the end I had missed my first two classes. They were only chemistry and PE so I hadn't missed anything, but I knew mom would kill me for it nonetheless. She hated the way I usually didn't care about school just because, one, I thought I had better things to do, and two, that, with all dad's money and the inheritance I would get when I was old enough, I would never have to work in my life. So education wasn't that important.

Mom would chop my head of if she had heard what I just thought.

When I didn't answer, she continued throwing a fit. "I don't know about you Aurora, but I wouldn't like to be treated with sarcasm from everyone around me just because I cut school! I would have been embarrassed when I had the opportunity to actually do something with my life and then just throw it away like a spoiled brat. Cause that's how you've been acting recently. Like a spoiled brat. And why aren't you answering your phone? Why do I have to go through your brother to get a hold off you?"

"I-I…" I stuttered. Angry-Mom wasn't to be taken easy. To be frank, I was scared. There was no way of telling what she would do to me.

"Are you telling me you have no reason for cutting class?" She hissed. I could see her in front of me; her eyes narrow, her mouth tense like when she was really angry, her fist clutching.

I shivered.

"Well, no, I don't." I whispered. Better to have a bad excuse then none at all, right?

"Let us hear it then." I gulped.

"Us?"

"Hi, love. How's your day been?" Oh no. I closed my eyes. I was on speaker and dad was in the room with the phone and my very ticked mom. I was doomed.

"Good, thank you. And yours?" I should have cookie points for trying at least.

"Don't try to worm out of this, princess." He chuckled. There it was, my father's nickname for me. Princess. "Why did you skip class this morning? Your mother is very upset about that, you know." Yeah I could tell.

I sighed. My friends had stopped listening in to me conversations since it became clear that I was being lectured.

"Well, the sunrise was so beautiful this morning, and… well, it fitted perfect for the plan I had for a scene so I kinda…"

"Aurora February Echo Cullen!" My mom yelled even more now. A chill ran down my spine after hearing me full name again in less then two minutes. "Did you skip class so you could go down to Central Park and FILM?!" Dad didn't say a word, which meant even he was disappointed with me. This was not good, I hated when he was disappointed. I didn't like it when mom was either, but dad was dad… it stung a little worse.

"Yes, I did." I whispered, barely hearable in the receiver.

"Bella, love. Calm down." I heard dad through the phone. Oh no, she was really mad.

"Aurora!" She called, not at all soothed by dad. "Do you have any idea how much money your father is spending on your education?" Actually, I hadn't. They wouldn't tell me, and I don't think they ever would if I didn't found out myself. "A lot." She said, cutting my train of thought off. "And when we do, we expect you to go to school so we get something out of those money. But right now it seems like it would be better if we donated it to starving children in Africa, for you do not seem to care! Am I wrong, Aurora?" I gulped. This was _not_ good.

"But mom." I tried. "It was two classes." Wrong tactic.

"Two classes?!" She howled. "Two classes!? Yes, my dear, this week. But last week it was five, and the week before that it was seven. When are you going to understand that I won't have it this way?" I hadn't realised that I had cut class that often recently. But all those times it had been perfect weather; I just couldn't resist the opportunity.

I kept silent, knowing that I would only make it worse if I said anything.

I heard mom sigh in the other end.

"I will talk to your father about this, and when you come home we will speak. Get that?" I nodded, and then remembered that she couldn't see me.

"Yes. I understand. Bye mom, bye dad." I hit the button and then started to stare at the phone in my hand.

"What's up today? First Alice joins you guys for lunch, then mom calls and freaks out so everyone can hear. It must be something with the stars." I didn't need to look up to know the look on my friends face', neither to know who sat beside me.

"What do you want?" I breathed, still scared to death. It had been a while since mom had been so angry with me. And I feared this wasn't over yet.

"My phone back." He said, grabbing it from my hand. "Thank you. Don't you have class soon, by the way?"

Liz jumped to rescue. "Yeah we do. Come on Echo, let's go." She grabbed my bag and my arm and pulled me up. "Come on, Vi, Penny." She almost dragged me out of the café. I didn't even turn to look at my brother. Why should I do that anyway? It wasn't like I needed the reminder; I'd seen him everyday since I was born.

Liz pushed me against my locker, telling me I should open it and take my things out. "Come on, Feb." She groaned, using my other middle name. "Pull it together, already." But I just stared into the wall. I knew my mom, and I knew that my punishment would come swift and fall hard. "Oh thank god!" She sighed. "Bee, hurry, I think Feb has got a mental breakdown."

"What happened? The twins again?" I felt Bee's hand on my shoulder straightening me up. The twins really was their father's sons, they loved playing pranks as they called it. Scaring people to death, according to the rest of us.

"No, mrs Cullen called. It was pretty ugly. I think everyone in the café heard actually."

"Oh no." Bee sighed, pulling out my keys from my bag and unlocking my locker. "Where are Vi and Penny?" She asked. I felt how my eyes started to get dry, but I just couldn't manage to blink, my muscles were all dead.

"PE."

"Oh." Someone, most likely Bee, pulled of my coat and threw it into my locker. Then she turned to look at me. "Where's Rose when you need her." She frowned.

"What do you mean with that?" Liz asked.

"If aunt Rosalie had been here, she'd slapped Aurora already. Maybe we should either way." With the word slapped, I woke up.

"Please no." I whined. Liz smiled.

"Well, hello there. Nice to have you with us." I stuck out my tongue.

"I got lunch, so I got to run. See you later, Aurora. Call me when you get home." I shook my head.

"I can't." I gasped, realisation dawning on me. If they were going to take something from me it was my phone, or any phone for that matter. And my computer and my camera most definitely. "They will take my phone, I swear." She smiled softly, patting my shoulder.

"Then I'll run by. Bella's always liked me, so she'll let me in. See you guys later." Liz and I waved her of, and then I turned to my locker.

"Maybe we should hurry too, Feb. Mrs Fredricsen will kill us if we're late."

"I wonder how mom will kill me if I'm already dead." I mused. "Maybe I should be late for chorus-" Liz smacked my head.

"Sober up, Feb, okay! You're coming with me, and only because I know your mother only will restore you to life and kill you all over again if she found out that you skipped class right after she yelled at you." I nodded, slamming the locker shut.

"Yeah, your right." I hugged her tightly. "Thanks Liz. You can have my books."

"That's generous of you, but fire up that rocket fuel, we're going to be late for sure. Thank god your brother made us remember." She grabbed my arm and started running down the hall.

How she managed to run full speed in three-inches-heels without falling was beyond me. How I managed to run in two-and-a-half-inches was not that strange. I was related to Alice Cullen Whitlock after all.

We reached the music hall and the chorus classroom just when mrs Fredricsen opened up the doors and let us in.

Liz and I exchanged a relived look and sighed. Mom wouldn't have to use witchcraft to be able to punish me after all.

"I heard you were in trouble, Cullen." Oh no, I really wasn't up for this right now.

"Yeah, mom found out what I'd been doing all morning." I answered.

"Yeah, what was that?" She, Sarah Conrad, smiled wickedly and leaned closer on her elbows.

"Making out with your boyfriend in the boys locker room." I smiled.

"Girls, your attention please."

"What did you say that for?" Liz hissed, low enough so that mrs Fredricsen wouldn't hear. I rolled my eyes.

"I don't care about Sarah Conrad." I snorted.

"Maybe not, but your choice of words might get back to you someday." I just shrugged, pretending to listen to mrs Fredricsen. "Or maybe not you, but some other Cullen." Liz added, and I froze. "You can never know. So you might have to start watch your tongue." She was right. Of course she was.

But I loved the look on Sarah Conrad's face when she processed what I said. She knew, I knew, we all knew, that it could be possible. I was a sophomore, but if I wanted a boy I only needed to reach out and take him.

Maybe mom was right. I was kind of spoiled.

* * *

So what do you think of her? What about the names?  
I'm very much of a name person, so those are very important to me.  
Some error you'd like to complain about?

Tell me.

xoxo


	3. Flourescent Adolescent part 2

The fat text further down is an A/N, just so you know.  
Go check out the car she drives, it's w o n d e r f u l!  
Even though my dream car is an Aston Martin, i wouldn't turn down a Lexus. Hoho, hell no.

I didn't get any response when i first uploaded chapter 1.  
The reason might be that my summery wasn't that good, the title not original and thrilling enough or that it just wasn't good enough for people to review or alert, i don't know.  
I hope it's one or both of the first, though.  
But now i've changed both title and summery, so maybe i'll notice a difference.

Anyway, on with the show.

* * *

**Fluorescent Adolescent part 2**

_Clinging to not getting sentimental _

_Said she wasn't going but she went still_

After chorus, I was reunited with Bee and she, Liz, Vi, Penny and I went to English together. When the last bell for the day rang, I headed for the parking lot where my beautiful Lexus SC stood parked.

"Hey babe." I purred, running my hand gently across the black lacquer. "Been bored without me?"

"Please don't tell me your talking to your car again, Aurora."

"Tiger shut up, you're talking to your boat." I turned and faced the twins. I grinned at them, leaning casually against my car.

"Yeah, but I'm not calling it babe." I rolled my eyes.

"No, you're calling her honey." Leon laughed, and slammed his brother's back. "Come on, Ti, let's go. Leave the girl alone with her car." They waved and started to walk away.

"Eh, guys." I called after them.

"No, he's not riding with you home. He got something to study for, don't ask me what." Tiger answered without even turning around.

I was actually the only Cullen with a car. It was insane just thinking of it in New York, but since dad was what you can call a collector, it kind of rubbed off on me. My brother usually rode with me home, if he didn't needed to stay and study for one of his advanced course tests. Don't ask me why he took those classes. But then again, I was the school hating Cullen.

I turned back to my baby and jumped in. **(I know she can't really drive in New York since she's just 17 and you have to be like 21, but I don't care! I love that car! And it's perfect for her, so I don't give a fuck about New York State Law!)** Most of the people in my school rode limousine back and forth to school, Liz, Penny and Vi did. But what was the fun in that? Limousines are so boring, and they're ugly. Why would you want to drive around in one? No, I'd rather take the subway or the bus. But now I had my Lexus, my baby.

It was rather new, I'd only had it since I turned 17 and that was two months ago.

Alice had thrown me the huge birthday-party. She'd invited everyone she thought was good enough to come, which ended with a party of a couple of hundreds. She over did it, of course, but that was Alice for you. The day after my birthday party, and my actual birthday, February 8th, had been so much better. I had woken up in my bed at a very reasonable hour. 11 am. I'd found the entire living room filled with presents, and the dining table was weighed down by a breakfast enough to make an army satisfied. After eating more food than I thought anyone was able to with my family, opening all the gifts in the house and those the other had brought, dad had taken me by the hand and led me downstairs. When I realised we were heading for the garage, my eyes started to water. And when I saw her, my beautiful, beautiful car I had only days before been drooling over on the computer, and when my dad said Happy birthday princess, I couldn't hold them back anymore. I threw myself at him, crying like an infant. He had chuckled, and then I had thrown myself at the car. I found out that it was a gift from all of them, everyone had put some money to it. So they all got the same tear-wet treatment.

I caressed the wheel when I drove her. She had been by far the best birthday present ever, after the camera when I was 11. And in a quite different price range to, I know, but oh, so lovely.

It wasn't far from school to home, but I drove her back and forth everyday just so she could stretch her legs. If mom hadn't been waiting around for me back home, I would have taken a ride up to the Hampton's. Or maybe not that far, but out of town at least.

But now I had a sword hanging over my head. If I didn't watch it very carefully, they'd take my precious Lexus together with my other stuff in the penalty.

I unlocked the gate to the garage and drove in. The purr of the engine still echoed back from the walls when I climbed out. I loved hearing that every day when I came home. That and the smell of gasoline were very comforting.

I jogged up the few stairs to the door into the house. The house was silent, except from soft piano music from dad's study. Debussy. It figures. He always listened to Debussy when he needed to calm down. It stung again, that I had upset and disappointed dad that much.

I walked on my tiptoes so my heels wouldn't smatter too much against the wooden floor. Up in my room I dumped my bag and coat on the bed and pulled off my shoes. No need for them when I was going to talk to my parents. I decided that I should change clothes too. I kind of liked the pleaded skirt and the bow, but not so suited for being home.

So I pulled on one of Alice's dresses she'd given me for my birthday. And then I took a deep breath and walked out of my room.

The bedrooms were on the top floor, and dad's study was on the ground floor. I walked down the steps, and turned the corner.

Debussy was still being played from the inside. I tapped the door lightly and pushed down the handle.

Dad sat turned to me in his big leather desk chair. He looked up from the paper on his table when I walked in. Even though he was angry with me, he smiled.

"Hello, princess." I blushed.

"Hi dad."

"Come here." He said, and stood up. I ran into his arms, feeling like five again. But I loved my dad too much to care. He hugged me close, kissing the top of my head. He smelled sweet with home.

"I'm sorry." I said, my voice muffled since my face was hidden in his chest.

"I know you are, princess. But I agree with your mother, this has to end." He let go and sat on the edge of his desk. He looked me straight into the eye, and I looked back. Dad was starting to get old, but that was bound to happen. He couldn't stay young forever, and I was happy about that somehow. Not that I wanted my dad do grow old and die, no I wanted him to _live_ forever, but I wanted him to become old so I could be. If your dad were 20 when you are 30, it wouldn't feel right. I wanted him to be older then me, so I could feel like his little girl longer.

One thing that never changed about dad was his clear green eyes, the same eyes my brother and I had, and the weird-coloured-bronze-hair that was as thick as ever. There was no way in a million years my dad would grow bold, that's for sure.

He raised a hand and brushed away some curls that had escaped my hairpins.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"She's just getting some coffee in the kitchen, she'll be right back." I sighed, and left him to admire the view I've seen so many times through the window. I needed to collect myself before being thrown to the lion.

I heard the smatter of shoes against the wooden floor seconds later, and turned to see my mother entering the room.

My mother was beautiful; there was no doubt about that. Her long, brown hair was naturally wavy and bounced around her thin frame when she walked. She wasn't as small as Alice, but not as tall as Rosalie. Her brown eyes shone when she looked at her husband. The jeans and blouse were obviously Alice' design, but they were still very mom.

She walked up to dad, pecked his lips and handed him a cup.

"Thank you, love." He murmured, shining from the small gesture of love. They had always acted like they were a young couple in love. She ran her hand lovingly through his bronze-hair and smiled.

Then she turned to me.

Her eyes had narrowed and her lips were pressed together. She had the sweetest body shape that made the impression a bit funny, you see, if you see my mother angry, it's hard to take her seriously. Dad had told me he used to call it her kitten temper, since she would be angry as a tiger but harmless like a kitten. Growing up with her had taught me a different lesson. My mom was not to be taken lightly.

"So, what do you have to say for yourself?" I saw how dad's eyes went from mom to me and back again before I answered.

"I'm sorry, mom, I really am. It will never happen again."

"Damn right it won't!" She snapped. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Dad stroked her gently over the back. "I just want to know why you did it, Aurora, before I punish you, okay?" She said, eyes still closed, but her voice a bit nicer. I breathed out, hopefully she wouldn't snap at me again. Now I just had to come up with a good answer, or good enough.

"You know I've been working on a project with some friends, and you know how hard we've been working and looking for the right weather and the right spots. It's gone weeks for me without even lifting the camera since it hadn't been right. But this morning it was, it was right. It was the sunrise. I know, I should have known better then to do it on a school day, but I couldn't help myself. I was more productive this morning then I'd ever be if I went straight to school. You always say I need to grow up, take responsibility, earn my living, but didn't I do that this morning? I stood knee-high in water this morning so I could get the right angle, for Christ sake! Bee went to Chem and she said I didn't miss anything, we were working with the Periodic table again, like we always do in the spring. I practically know it back and forth by now. And PE is PE, you should know that." The words had streamed out in such a speed they left me breathless when they ended. I took a deep breath and started to unfold and fold my hands. A clear sign of nervousness.

My parents looked at each other, I could see dad shrug a bit, and mom nodding. I'd never understood the fact that they seemed to read each other's minds some of the time.

"It's not that we don't appreciate your hard work, Aurora, you know that both your father and I are very proud over the things you do. It's just that we don't like you skipping class. If it had been one, or two max, then I'd let it pass, but this seems to be a new thing for you.

So far you cannot live by your camera, I'm sorry to say it but you can't. You're a sophomore, just turned 17, my dear, you need to think about your education. I understand if you won't go to collage after graduation, I can't say I'm happy with that, but it's your decision. What I won't accept is you dropping out from high school, 'cause that's what your behaviour looks like to me." I frowned. Just because I skipped about fifteen classes doesn't mean I want to drop out.

"Mom." I said, arching a brow. "I don't want to drop out. I just, want to take my time and be able to skip a class once in a while. You know they say it's healthy."

"Don't try to be smart." She said; her jaw clenched. Why was dad trying to hide a smile? "You certainly shall not drop out." She turned quickly to dad, and he nodded. The smile was gone. "Your reason isn't enough to justify your behaviour, Aurora, but it's enough for us to lift the penalty a bit." I gulped. Here it comes. "No phone, no computer, no camera, no car for a month." I froze; I couldn't do anything but stare at my mother. A month!? No car!? I had already said good-bye to my phone and camera, I knew she would take them, but my car! And for a month! Did she want me to die?

"But mom!"

"No buts. And if you skip class, even just get a detention, you will regret it. Are we clear?" I looked down on my feet.

"Yes mom."

"Good." She sighed.

We all jumped half a feet when the phone on dad's desk rang. Dad leaned over it and grabbed the receiver.

"Cullen." He said. His voice was still serious, probably from the conversation we just had. I turned and started walking out the door. "Well, hello, son. Yeah, she's here. One second. Aurora. It's your brother." I twirled, and stared at dad and the phone.

"My brother? Why is he calling home?" Dad shrugged.

"You'll have to ask him." I reached out and grabbed the phone. Mom left the room after another kiss from dad.

"What do you want?"

"Why do you always have to be so rude, Aurora?" I heard rustle of paper and scratching of pens in the background. I had no idea how he was able to ring people, read and write essays at the same time. My brother really was something.

"It's for you, love." I sang." You bring out the best in me."

"No, I'm serious, when did you get like that?" I groaned, now he would start lecturing me too. Why couldn't my family understand when to leave me alone?

"Was that what you rang about?"

"No, I heard something." Ten points to Aurora for skilfully avoiding the question. Yes!

"Yeah? What did you heard?"

"Did you make out with Sarah Conrad's boyfriend in the locker room this morning?" Oh, holy crap. Liz had been right, oh so right. It was a gift she had, I was sure.

I groaned. Dad gave me a questioning look from across the table where he sat with his papers. I shook my head, and he turned back to them.

"No, I didn't."

"Why is she telling the entire school that you're a slut then?" Did he just say slut? I think he did. That was a big step, brother.

"Well, you know Sarah Conrad." I giggled awkwardly.  
"Don't try, sis, you know she has a reason if she starts a rumour."

"Why do you want to know either way?"

"I want to start keeping a list of whom I should send the twins at tomorrow morning. This far it's pretty long. So, did you do it?" This was embarrassing, especially being in the same room as dad.

"No, I didn't." I sighed, admitting defeat.

"Then where did she get that?" A chair got pulled out in the background, and papers were collected.

"Oh, well, I don't know." I tried. He wasn't fooled.

"Dad's there, right?" I glanced at him.

"Yeah."

"Tell me either way."

"But!"

"If you do things like that you have to be able to stand for them. Now tell me." I groaned.

"I hate you, you know that." I hissed.

"Aurora." Dad glanced at me.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it." I muttered. "Okay, I'll tell you. Yeah, she provoked me, okay. In chorus. She'd heard that mom had been yelling at me through the phone, and she asked me what it was about, so I said that the principal had called her. Which was true! And then I said that the principal had called since I'd been doing the stuff you know, you know where." I glanced at dad. He didn't look back, and didn't look curious, so hopefully I'd gotten away.

My brother sighed in the other end.

"It's embarrassing how much of a daddy's little girl you are, sis. It really is, you know. You should stop being such an eye servant." I blushed, something I did rarely, but always when my brother scolded me.

I kept silent. What was I suppose to answer? "Yes I know"? Yes, I did know, but I wouldn't admit it. Never, and especially not when he was in the room.

"Tell mom I'm on my way home, she can start dinner. See you later, sis."

"Bye." I wanted to throw the phone at the table, but that would make dad wonder, so I gently put it back where it belonged.

I silently sneaked out the room on bare feet so I wouldn't disturb dad. Enough of that had been done today.

I found mom in the living room, snuggled up in the couch with her laptop in her lap and a blanket around her shoulders.

"Hey mom." I said, the air still tense after the fight.

"Hey honey." She said, looking up and smiling. She reached out one arm to invite me to sit beside her. "I'm sorry if I were a little hard on you before, but I just want you to know limits." I climb up beside her, and she folded the blanket around me to. I leaned my head against her shoulder and nodded.

"I understand." I looked at the screen on the computer. "Are you writing something new?" My mom was a writer. A very good one, and a very read one. She'd written all kinds of books through the years. Love stories when she met dad. Chic lit when they got married. Children's books when my brother and I were little. Cook books when we got older. Educational books when we started school.

Now she was back to fiction. Last year she published one that sold out within weeks. She was compared to all these giant writers, but she just blushed and thanked her family for putting up with her glued to the computer writing.

She smiled and kissed the top of my head.

"Yeah, I got an idea last night when I tried to sleep, and the inspiration won't end. It might be a good one." Mom had more ideas and storylines in her computer then most had in their life. But that was how she wanted it. She liked being busy and hard-working.

"What is it about?" I asked, not wanting to read over her shoulder without permission. She might not want me to read it yet.

"Well, it's for teenagers, so it's about love, and growing up, and a pregnancy, and making decisions of your own."

"Wow, mom, you've got it all in there." She laughed.

"I hope. I remember being a teenager after all."

"Are you saying you got pregnant as a teenager?" I asked, faking surprise. "Do I have a sibling I don't know of?" She laughed again, and ran her hand up and down my arm.

"No, I didn't, and no you don't. Your brother was my first pregnancy, frankly." Maybe too much information, but calming to hear there'd never been anyone else. I didn't like the idea of more siblings then my brother.

"Right, that reminds me. He's on his way home from school now, so we can start dinner." Mom nodded, saved and closed the laptop.

"That seems like a good idea. I'm starving. Want to help me?" She put the laptop on the coffee table and got up.

"Yeah, sure. What are we making?" My mom had always been an amazing cook, she had written cookbooks after all.

She tapped her chin, thinking.

"Don't know. What do you feel like? Maybe lasagne?"

It might be strange for some people, but even though we had a lot of money, and we could keep a housekeeper and all that, mom hated the fact to have someone else cleaning up our dirt. So we cleaned our own house regularly, I even changed my bed sheets myself. And mom cooked family dinner every night. It wasn't rare that she got help, and once in a while dad would take over that chore.

I had been brought up to do all those stuff, so I was used to it. It would be weird having someone else going through my things and cooking my meals now.

"Mhm, lasagne would be good." Mom's lasagne was famous. Honestly, it was! She had even been on Martha Stewart making it.

"Lasagne it is."

I followed her into the kitchen and started cooking the dish.

She sang happy tunes while making the sauce. I smiled and glanced at her from the corner of my eye.

"Mom?" I asked after an especially false version of Be my baby. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean what's going on?" She asked, trying to hide her face. Now I _knew_ something was going on.

"You're all happy."

"Aren't I allowed to be?" She gasped, faking shock as I had earlier. I laughed, and shook my head.

"Of course you are. But when you are this happy, you usually have a reason."

"It must be because I'm such a wonderful husband, right?" Dad stepped in and wrapped his arms around mom's waist from behind. I rolled my eyes at them, typical my parents.

"That's definitely not it." Mom said, patting his arms. "You're like always." She smiled and turned in his arms.

"Exactly, I'm wonderful, as always."

"You're very cocky, you know that?" She whispered, caressing his cheeks. For any other girl my age, seeing her parents all physical and lovey-dovey would probably make her gag. But I was so used to it by now. They'd always been like that, I found it comforting, knowing that they still loved each other after all these years, when my friends' parents didn't even speak to one another.

"No, I'm self-confident." He grinned. I rolled my eyes.

"So I've noticed." They leaned closer and were just about to kiss when I smelled something.

"Mom, you're going to burn the sauce!" I called. She snapped her head towards the pot and started stirring again. Dad's kiss was rejected and landed on her cheek instead.

He glanced, faking anger, at me.

I just chuckled and turned to the chopping-board.

"Isabella Cullen never burns anything." She exclaimed proudly. "Come back here, I still want that kiss."

"Can you two get a room or something?" I looked up and saw my brother in the door. He had still his uniform on, and dumped his bag on the kitchen island. Dad, who still, but not for long, was a bit taller, ruffled his hair playfully.

"Noah Cullen! Get out of my room." Mom grabbed dad's tie and pulled him close. Just so she could tease her son.

"Ew, mom, I didn't need those pictures." He groaned. "What are you making?"

"Lasagne." I said proudly, even though I hadn't stepped close to the actual lasagne yet. I was on salad-duty.

"Sounds good." He said jumping up on a counter.

"How's school been today, Noah?" Dad asked, still with his arms around mom.

"Same old. I've got history and psychology test tomorrow, that's what I've been doing all afternoon. All those dates are killing me." He groaned. He leaned back, but banged his head straight in the cabin. I snickered and shook my head; it was so like him. "Not funny, Aurora." He snorted, rubbing the sore spot.

"You know that Jazz has offered help, if you need it?" Mom said. Alice's husband Jasper was a history professor at the university, so he was bound to be able to help my brother. Noah had a small problem with pride, that's all.

"No, I think I can handle it." Maybe it didn't sound like he could handle it, but he could. I knew my brother.

"How's your days been, mom, dad?" I asked, so hopefully no one would ask me that question.

They looked at each other and then turned away. I grinned and looked at me brother; he had seen it too. Nothing escapes us.

"Good." Dad murmured and cleared his throat.

"I don't think we want to press that any further, Noah." I snickered.

"I think you're right, sis." He jumped down from the countertop. "So, if you won't be needing me down here, I'm going upstairs."

"Dinners ready in 30 minutes." He nodded and disappeared upstairs.

"So, princess. How's _your_ day been?" I should have known better than to think that I'd gotten away.

I put down the knife slowly and turned to them.

"Well, pretty good. Nothing exiting happened after this morning." I mumbled, not really looking at them. Mom just rolled her eyes, all happiness turned in frustration.

"What happened?"

"Oh, nothing." I hurried to say. "Alice showed by, that's all."

"Alice?" Dad echoed. "Why would she come to school? Did something happen to Briony?"

"No, she didn't even meet Briony. She just told me something."

"What did she tell you?" He asked. He knew of his sisters funny way of knowing things that she wasn't supposed to know, and took it quite seriously.

This was not good. After knowing Alice all these years, I knew that I you told someone that they were going to look out for something, they usually overdid it, and the whole thing turned out differently. But that might not be so bad now, considering I would hate the place they decided to take me.

It was worth a try.

"She said to say hi, and that you were going to take me and Noah somewhere this summer." Mom dropped her chin.

"I'm never getting used to those _perceptions_ of her, am I?" She said.

"If you haven't by now, you probably won't." Dad chuckled.

"Why?" I asked, curious that they sounded like they knew what was going on.

"We are actually going somewhere this summer." Oh no, they had already decided. This was exactly like Alice said!

"Yeah? Where are we going?"

"Chicago." It was lucky that I had put the knife down. Otherwise I would have a long cut along my palm and a hole in my foot.

It would never stop to amaze me how right Alice always was. I slowly closed my eyes, breathing in and out even slower to calm myself down.

Chicago equals bad, bad memories. The humiliation connected to the city was unbearable. I couldn't even think about it without wincing.

"Chicago?" I asked under my breath, eyes still closed. "Why?" Even without looking at her, I knew mom raised one eyebrow. She'd always found my dislike for the city irrational, but then again, she didn't know why I hated it.

"Do we have to have a reason for a family gathering?" I mentally shone up. Family gathering … that meant that the rest of the Cullens would come to. We would probably all stay at grandpa and grandma's enormous house. I probably wouldn't have to go out. That would be good, that would be really good.

I smiled softly, opening my eyes again.

"No, of course not. It was just a question." I breathed, almost whispering.

"Good." Dad smiled, my little outburst hadn't passed him by, but he decided not to push it further. Thankfully. "Then I'll tell Carlisle and Esme we'll be up after my birthday." Why dad always called grandpa and grandma by their first names I didn't know. He always had, it was as normal as to not call Alice by aunt and Emmett by uncle. _That_ had been really weird.

"How long will we stay there?" I asked, turning back to the knife to clean it up.

"For the summer." I winced so fiercely I banged my forehead into the cupboard.

"Ouch." I whined.

"You really are Noah's sister." Mom snickered. I just grunted at her.

"And your daughter apparently." I muttered.

"I'll try to take that as a compliment." Before I could answer what I had planned, I realised that it probably wasn't the most suitable thing to tell your mother. So I kept quiet.

Nothing escaped us Cullens, I just tell you.

"No quick reply?" Dad smirked. "That was something new."

"I'm trying to change, actually." I said, and lied.

"You are? How?" Mom stepped closer, so she would be able to stare me in the eye and see if I was lying. She knew me far to well for my own good.

"I'm trying to be less mean and more the person, the Cullen, I should be."

"You know, princess." Dad sighed. "You have almost an unhealthy obsession about our last name and our family. You know you have to let that go. Stop being Aurora Cullen for a while, and just be Aurora."  
He should know that I wasn't obsessing over our reputation, and all that jazz. If I did, I would probably stop cutting class and hanging around with less of the people I knew.

Well, okay, I didn't need to lie to myself. I did actually care about the reputation, but not in that way. Just so I wouldn't embarrass them too much, so no one would buy mom's books, so no one would have faith in dad, or anything other that would hurt my loved ones.

Other than that, I did pretty much anything I wanted, for I was quite good at getting away with stuff too.

I put away the knife into the dishwasher.

"Well, tell me when we'll eat. I'm going upstairs."

"Sure." Mom smiled.

I took the stairs two steps at a time, sliding my hand on the railing so I would be able to catch myself if I fell.

I considered quickly the possible things I would be able to do in my room, with me not being allowed to the computer, camera or phone, and gave up that thought. I'd never been much for books, and as soon as I read one, I started thinking filming-perspective. _How would I do this scene? This scene should probably been scratched from the screenplay, etc._

It always distracted me when reading, so I ended up writing screenplays or editing in the computer in the middle of a page. There weren't many books I'd actually read through.

So I stopped outside Noah's door instead. All I heard was silence from inside, and since I knew my brother, I opened the door slightly.

He was sitting on his bead, leaning against the wall, with his laptop in his lap and half the school-library on his comforter. The curtains were pulled back, letting sunshine flood into the room.

He didn't look up from what he was doing when I came into the room and closed the door behind me.

I walked on bare feet over to his bed, and crawled up beside him.

He didn't comment when I pushed the books in the way aside, and leaned casually against him.

I sighed and closed my eyes.

"Is there something bothering you?" He asked then. I sighed and shook my head.

"No, nothing more then usual. Even though I'm not that used to being grounded, it wasn't that bad. But it probably hasn't dawned on me yet. I just miss you I guess." I sighed again, leaning my head against his shoulder.

Noah and I had grown up practically stitched together. We didn't go anywhere without the other.

Not even when Noah had been invited to some cousin's party, and I hadn't, we were separated. Mom had called dad's distant relative and told her that Noah was ill, just so I wouldn't be left behind. He'd been sleeping in my bed that night, telling me all those stories about the party he'd never gone to.

But that was when we were little. Since Noah is a year older than I, he started school earlier. I remember all those afternoons, being home alone with mom, or every Friday dad, and just sitting around waiting. Half laying on the sofa in the living room; waiting. Sitting on the bottom steps on the stairs; waiting. Pacing back and forth on the kitchen floor; waiting. And when he finally stepped through the door, he wasn't the same Noah. Well, the first weeks or months he was, but with his new friends his patience with me fell, his embarrassment with admitting spending so time with his sister grew. Then Noah hadn't been such a confident kid.

That was different now, though. I'd grown up too, gotten friends of my own other than our cousins, and he started to miss me when I wasn't as reachable like I used to.

So we started hanging out again, just him and me. Like siblings, like this.

"I miss you too." He said, clicking and closing the computer. "School sucks these days you know. Be glad you're not in the same class as the twins." He groaned. I giggled.

"Why is that? Are they starting to pick on you too?"

"They've always been picking on me, Aurora! No, they've just recently decided that it's time for me to get a girlfriend. Or as Tiger so tactfully said 'You better get out there, use your Cullen charm and get some ass. A guy can't be virgin at 18, you know!'" Noah imitated Tiger's voice perfectly. He was the dim brother, but Leon wasn't that much better. "Not that bad, maybe, but since he was pretty loud, and the café was pretty crowded, it could have been better."

I swallowed. Hm, this might be awkward.

"So? What did you do?"

"Well." Noah shrugged. "I screamed 'That's awesome, man, you really should say that in front of drama class, you know you should always talk from personal experience.' I think I handled it pretty well, don't you think." I broke out into laughter. I could without a problem see this happening.

"Very well, Noah, your reputation as the greatest womanizer of the century is defended."

"Thanks, sis. That's real heart-warming." He sighed, straightening a bit. My head almost fell off. "However, they're starting to get desperate, since I'm turning 18 soon. It seems like they are treating my "virginity-problem" like it's the countdown to the end of the world." I snorted.

"Let's blame that on our parents."

"Ew, Aurora, I didn't want to hear that."

"I didn't say anything. It was you who made the assumptions." We fell silent. I loved the way we could just sit all still like this, and just think.

"We're going to Chicago this summer." I stuttered out after a couple of minutes. He was still, but managed to be more so when he heard the tone in my voice. He quickly sat up and grabbed my arms.

He pulled me in into a bone-crushing hug.

The dreadful tears started running down my cheeks. Why was I crying? The whole Chicago thing wasn't that bad?

Was it?

I wrapped my arms around my brother's neck, hugged him back with all my power.

"Thank you." I said, my voice muffled since I pressed my face into his shoulder. He didn't answer, just squeezed me tighter for a second.

When I started letting go, he did to. He'd just been waiting for me to pull myself together, taking the first step. He wouldn't have let me go, ever, if I hadn't made the move.

I whipped my tears with the back of my hand, and smiled weakly.

"Why Chicago?" He asked, stroking my hair gently.

Noah was the only one knowing what had really happened in Chicago last year. And I intended to let it stay that way. If dad would find out, I wouldn't be able to look him in the eyes again.

"I don't know." I shrugged. I knew my eyes still were all swollen after the crying, and I had to remind myself that I was going downstairs to mom and dad soon. "They didn't say. Just that we would go there after dad's birthday."

"We as in who?"

"You, me, mom, dad, Whitlocks and Cullens. Everybody I guess." I sighed, leaning back against his wall again. He copied.

"But that won't be so bad, will it? If you gotBriony and I to keep you company, you might not have to go out at all." He honestly tried to cheer me up. He was the sweetest brother anyone could have.

"Exactly, that was what I thought." I grinned, half-heartedly. "But you know our family, they will force me out of the house sooner or later." He chuckled.

"Just pray it won't be Emmett who wants to take us to some park and play family football. I have no idea why, but we've never won any of those matches. You would think dad would be good at football, but no, no." He had a mocking bitter tone to his voice.

"No, dad's more the baseball type, you know. Not as big and manly like Emmett." I teased.

"Yeah, you're right." Noah smiled. "Then, if dad would be the baseball type, and Emmett clearly is the football type, what would Jazz' sport be?"

"If we're going with the popular sports, I'd say basketball of course. At least his tall enough." Noah started laughing.

"Yeah, he sure is. But just imagine Jazz on the basketball court." I had to agree, it was a funny picture.

Jasper wasn't stiff, just the stiffest of us all. That made a sport like basketball hard to connect with him and his intellectual personality. Maybe Alice was so bored with her sporty brothers (yes, dad hade been into sports in high-school too) and went for the straight-a-know-it-all. But it'd turned out that Jasper was way less stiff then they'd all thought.

I hadn't heard the whole story, but I understood that it wouldn't be very healthy for me to hear, considering it being about my parents and uncles and aunts. I might get traumatized.

"Yup, Jazz's the basketball. But somehow, I can't place either of their wives in any sport." He mused. "Can you?"

"Maybe, but that wouldn't be ball-sports." I said, tapping my chin. "Alice would definitely be figure skating, with the costumes and all." He nodded in agreement, grinning just like dad. "Rose would have be… karate or judo or a material art or something." Noah barked out a laugh.

"I really didn't see that one coming, but when you say it, it makes perfect sense. Rose would earn a black belt within a week."

"We should give that to her for her next birthday! A test-day at a karate-dojo."

"Brilliant." He just grinned, folding his hands behind his head. "Mom then?"

"Am I paid for coming up with all this? Aren't you supposed to help too?" He just grinned again.

"Yeah yeah, sure, let me think though."

I crossed my legs in front of me and leaned my chin in my hands. There weren't that many sports that a clumsy person could excel in.

"Ah!" I exclaimed mid-thought. "Diving! You know, jumping of a trampoline, doing some twirls in the air and then dive into the water! That's mom for you." I grinned smugly at him.

"Oh, that's almost mean, Aurora." He said, arching a brow at me. He didn't like that I joked at the expense of our mother.

I had to admit though, the joke was a bit imprudent. Not so nice to joke about mom's not-attempt-but-everyone's-assuming-to-commit-suicide. It had been long before Noah or I were born, but it was still somehow fresh in at least dad's memory, since he still blamed himself for it. And I think he always will.

"Maybe we should give up this game before we get to our cousins." He said. "That could be nasty." He knew me, he knew me too well. I had a thing for being meaner and meaner when I grew more excited.

The problem with being so close to all your family, was that everyone knew everything, or the most, about everyone. And if I started matching people with sports, I would connect them with maybe not so good memories.

Noah wasn't fond of hearing me being mean, so he usually stopped me before it could get out of hand.

Like now.

"Noah! Aurora! The dinner's ready!" Mom called from downstairs. I jumped of the bed.

"Are you coming?"

"Yeah sure." He said, climbing out of the bed like an old man. "Calm down, it's just dinner." I wave my finger at him.

"No, that's where you're wrong, my son. This is mrs Cullen's famous lasagne, and it shouldn't be taken lightly." He just rolled his eyes at me.

"Get out of here already!"

I giggled and started bouncing Alice-style down the hall.

I tripped and almost fell down the stairs, but that was why god invented railings.

Since it was just an ordinary dinner, I found mom and dad in the kitchen, already seated by the table.

Both of them where smiling adoringly towards each other when I stepped into the room.

"Daughter-alert, turn down the happy-couple button a notch please."

But they just kept smiling, and I shrugged. It wasn't that bad as I let it out to be.

I walked over and sat down in my usual seat next to dad. Noah sat down on the opposite side, next to mom.

We'd barley started eating when the doorbell rang. Everyone around the table froze, no one wanting to leave the table and opening for the guest.

I remember the promise Bee had left me earlier, and decided that I should get up.

"It might be Bee, I'll get it."

"Invite her in for dinner!" Mom called behind me.

I hadn't even walked halfway down the hall to the doors when they burst open.

"Hello Cullens!" Alice yelled through the house.

I chuckled and groaned at the same time. I could hear the same reactions coming from my family. Dad was most likely the one that groaned, while mom would chuckle.

It was so typical Alice to not have the patience to wait until someone opened the door, but she kept hitting the stupid doorbell anyway, instead of walking straight in.

Behind her I saw Bee, hunching shyly.

Alice ran up to me, and kissed my cheek. "How are you, Aurora, sweetheart? Oh, I love that dress on you. Where are they? Are they eating? Oh, I smell lasagne." Before I even had time to answer, she disappeared around the corner, and found her way to the kitchen.

"Hi Bee." I smiled, closing the door behind my cousin.

She inspected me thoroughly. "You seem rather happy." She said. "Were they that nice?"  
Just when I'd managed to forget about my punishment, the loveliest person in the world had to remind me about it.

I groaned, closing my eyes.

"No, I wouldn't call it nice." I sighed, turning my face down. "But I guess it could've been worse."

"Do you want something to eat, Briony?" Dad called from the kitchen.

"Yes, thank you, Edward." She answered, and wrapped her arm around my waist.

"What did they do then?" She whispered. I shook my head, knowing my family very well could hear me from here, and I wasn't comfortable repeating what they'd said earlier.

"Later." I mouthed, and she nodded.

"Sure."

They had set the table for her beside me, Alice across the table from her.

Alice already had a huge pile of salad and half the lasagne on her plate. Mom was grinning smugly over how much Alice loved her cooking.

"So, where is Jazz tonight?" Noah asked, leaning back in his chair. I rolled my eyes at him. Besides dad, Jazz was Noah's idol; it probably had something to do with the fact that he was a professor and the one uncle who didn't tease him for his hobbies.

I was glad that, though we only had two uncles, they were very different, but similar.

I grabbed my glass, drinking while waiting for Alice to clear her mouth before answering.

She might look like a lady, but she didn't eat like one.

"He's got classes today, so he's at the university." Her eyes sparkled. "I'll tell him you missed him, Noah."

"Yes, please do that." Noah replied, totally ignoring the attempt to tease him. He was so used to it, he didn't even care anymore. "And ask him if I can borrow that European Middle Ages book he got, I've got a test in a couple of weeks." Alice dropped the sparkle.

"European Middle Ages, got it."

"Aren't you taking the advanced course in World History too, Bee?" Mom asked her. Briony shook her head.

"No, I dropped out of that one after realising that I knew everything they tried to learn me. That's why you have a professor for a father, right." She smiled, picking up her knife and fork.

I sighed. I wish mom being a writer could have let me skip English, but no. It had to be compulsory for all high school students. I was sad that law wasn't a subject I studied, then maybe, my genes would have helped me.

"You're thinking about skipping English, aren't you?" Dad asked, grinning crookedly.

"I guess I am." I admitted, smiling goofily at him. "But I also thought that I wished I had law, then maybe…" I trailed of, staring into the distance, dreaming about one class less in my schedule.

"Ain't gonna happen, princess." He chuckled and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

"You can dream right!"

"Talking about law." Alice mused. "How's that case going, Edward?"

Even though I wished I studied law sometimes, I really couldn't care less about it.

So when the others around the table got sucked into a heated discussion about this new case they were talking about, I sighed, glancing at Brinoy's plate.

She smiled. "I'll hurry, if you want me to."

"Yes please." I groaned. "If I hear the world _evidence_ one more time, I'm going to make everything in this room just that." She snickered.

"We wouldn't want that, would we?"

"No." I mumbled, shaking my head. "We certainly wouldn't want that."

"Come on then." She said. "I'm finished." I glanced at her plate again. It was empty.

"Thanks for dinner mom, we're going upstairs."

"Thank you, Bella."

"Have fun girls." She said, not breaking away from the discussion.

I rolled my eyes, and put away our dishes.

I followed Bee up the stairs and closed the door to my room behind us.

"Well, what did they say?" Bee asked, throwing herself on my bed. I showed some clothes and stuff away from my chair and sat down.

"They banned me from the c's."

"Oh no!" She gasped loudly. Suddenly she started giggling. "You know I have no idea what you mean." I rolled my eyes.

"Camera, computer, car. And that's not all. No phone either."

"You're pouting like a schoolgirl."

"Technically, Bee, I am still a schoolgirl."

"You're right." She said and grinned. "And so am I."

"You seem proud of it." I groaned. "All I want to do is to skip it all together, get myself some money and go to Europe." She smiled vaguely at me, sitting up on her knees.

"Is that what you're going to do this summer?" She said. I could clearly hear sadness in her voice. I was glad, though I was miserable at the same time, that I wouldn't leave the country this year.

"No." I sighed. "We're all going to Chicago. Didn't Alice say that?" Bee leaned her head in her hand.

"No, she didn't. Are you sure we're going too? I mean, mom, dad and I?" I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. But maybe mom and dad decided very recently, and are telling your mom now."

"Yeah maybe." She sighed and turned so she was lying on her back.

It was such a relief that she hadn't noticed my sadness when I talked about Chicago.

I dreaded this summer more than I'd dreaded anything in my life.

"Rose's on TV tonight." Bee mumbled.

"Yeah? What is she donating money and time to now?" Rose was a saint, an ex-super model saint with too much money and too much free time. These days she shopped, went to fashion shows on the front row, talked about fashion in magazines and was the face of most charity organisations in North America. You'd think she would never be home, but somehow, she was always the one answering the phone when you called the Emmett Cullen house.

Maybe she'd just linked it to her cell-phone, but that seemed irrational. Maybe she just liked being home a lot. It had probably something to do with the enormous garage they had to house their cars.

"I don't know, some children's hospital in Bronx I think. I can't keep track of everything she's doing, I'm afraid."

"At least she's helping us keep the good face up. What would we do with all our money if we didn't donate some of it."

"Don't be sarcastic. There's no way we'll ever be able to spend the Cullen fortune on ourselves, so why shouldn't we donated it for better causes then new dresses and cars."

"Sometimes I think you're an changeling, there's no way you're related to Alice, the shopping queen herself." Bee huffed.

"Are you saying I'm a troll?" I got up and threw myself on the bed beside her. She rolled over to her side and glanced angrily at me.

"No, I'd say you were more of a fairy."

She giggled. "You always now how to make people forgive you."

"That's one of my many talents." I smiled smugly.

* * *

Not much of the heartache mentioned in the summary, huh?  
Well, it wouldn't be any fun if it appeared instantly, would it?

You'll all just have to wait and see.  
That might be my new motto, actually.

That and, only time can tell.

Review, please.

xoxo


	4. One Ones Who Know

Some of you might be wanting to read Zenith or Straitjacket instead.  
But for the moment they're dried out in my head.  
The only one who is coming out is the dear Aurora Cullen.  
Hence the update to the story no one reads.

However, i love this story too much. Maybe too much for my own good.  
I just can't not update.

So if you're waiting for any of the others, you need to be patient, they will come.  
But as it is now, this will do.

Short chapter.  
Not necessary faster updates, of anything.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Only Ones Who Know**

_And even if somebody could have shown you the place you wanted, _

_Well I sure you could have made it that bit better on your own, _

_You are the only ones who know_

Noah entered my room that night.

"You awake?" He whispered through the darkness and sat down on the edge of my bed.

"Yes." I answered, turning around and facing him in my bed. "What is it?" He didn't answer me, just kept staring in the darkness.

"I'm worried about you, Aurora." He said. "I can't sleep, I'm worried and I've got a bad feeling." I sat up and reached for his hand.

"Why? Noah, please, don't worry about me, I'll manage school."

"That's not what I meant." He sighed. "I meant Chicago, and I think something more will happen this year. And not only with school."

"Are you telling me to tell mom and dad?" He nodded silently. "I can't do that, you know I can't."

"Maybe you should stop blaming yourself and see what really happened, Aurora. Maybe you should let dad help you, you know how he is."

"That is exactly why I won't tell him. I know how he is. Things will only be stirred if dad steps in." Noah squeezed my hand.

"Aurora. Please. If you won't tell them, at least stop living the life you are."

"What do you mean by that?" I hissed offended.

"I mean you must stop skipping class, you must start studying to catch up, you must stop hanging out with Violet and Penny." I hated it when he told me what to do.

"They've all got a crush on you by the way." I muttered crossing my arms across my chest.

"That has nothing to do with this." He sounded like dad, using that tone. "I don't recognise you anymore." He added more softly.

"You shouldn't, there haven't been much quality time between the two of us lately." I muttered.

"Stop doing that."

"What?"

"The sarcasm, the aggressive tone. This is what I mean, sister, you have to deal with your problems. Making everyone hate you won't make you feel better. Don't even get me started on the Sarah Conrad thing today." I was starting to see red, but somewhere in my head someone (probably Echo, by the sound of her voice), told me that he was right.

"Noah! Stop lecturing me! Why did you come in here in the middle of the night, wake me up and then lecture me?"

"Because I care."

"That's one I haven't heard before."

"Well, if you're trying to make me go away, then you've made it. 'Night, Aurora."

"Goodnight, Noah."

I turned in bed and tried to go back to sleep.

I failed.

* * *

Short, as i said.

But hopefully it won't stop you from reviewing.

xoxo


	5. No Buses

I woke up this morning and just felt like updating No signal.

So here it is, the update.

I'm just glad that there's someone who hasn't been discouraged by the previous chapters or the summary.

Anyhow, i love Aurora and Noah, so you'll have to bare it.

Enjoy.

* * *

**No Buses**

_I know your game, _

_you told him yesterday "no chance, you'll get nothing from me"_

"You look tired." Bee tried to stroke the hair from my face. I hadn't bothered pulling it up this morning, I looked like hell, I needed my hair.

"Tell me about it." I grumbled, and turned my face away.

"Didn't you sleep well?" I pulled my books closer to my chest, and kept staring into the floor.

"No, isn't that obvious?"

"Very. I don't understand why, though." I opened the door to our class, and we slipped in to sit at the back.

"Noah talked to me last night."

"Oh." She paused. "Do I want to know?"

"Trust me you don't."

"Fight with brother dearest?" Vi chimed and sat down beside us. I shoot her a glance.

"Maybe, it looks like it, doesn't it." Liz said, pulling away the hair from my face. She clicked her tongue. "Sure does. Maybe you should've put some make-up though."

"Didn't have time." I muttered. "I over-slept."

"How could you over-sleep if you didn't get any sleep?" Sometimes not even I knew why I was friends with her.

"I did get some sleep, Vi." I said venomously. "When I'd fallen asleep, it was about 6 in the morning, so I over-slept."

"And he didn't mind waking you up, since you had a fight." Bee concluded. It wasn't really true, but I didn't deny it. There was no need to.

I shrugged and turned away from the girls.

"Newsflash." Penny called as she stormed into the room.

"What is it this time?" Bee murmured, low enough for only me to hear. I felt the same.  
Vi and Penny, sometimes even Liz, was crazy about gossip. Spending every minute of school with vultures can be rather tough.

She dropped her new bag on the desk, but remained standing.

With her hands in her sides she stared at me.

"What?" I frowned, leaning back so I could see her better.

"Is it true?" She growled.

"What is? If this is something about Noah and a new flame, it's a lie." Penny rolled her eyes in frustration.

"So no new girl for Noah, maybe I should…"

"Shut it Vi."

"Of course it isn't." Penny snorted. "Is it true about you and Frank?"

"Frank who?" I looked at Bee, but she didn't seem to know this Frank either.

"Ugh." Penny moaned. I was sure she was about to stomp her foot, but she didn't. Too bad. "You're always making me spell it out, Aurora." Wow, she didn't call me by any of my middle names. She must be quite crossed with me. "Sarah Conrad's boyfriend Frank, of course you meathead."

"What did you say?" I gasped, looking her with complete disbelief. Never in my life, except for the twins once in a while, had anyone called me meathead. Never _ever_ my friends.

"Frank, locker-room, yesterday." Penny growled between gritted teeth. By now the entire classroom was staring at us. Not for my world could I care less.

"No, the other part. The meathead. Who do you think you are?" I'd stood up now, offended beyond description.

"Aurora." Bee put her hand on my arm. I just shook it off.

"Who do you think _you_ are?" Penny screeched back. I might get tinnitus from that one. I kept going without taking a note to her question.

"I was just messing with her. I've never touched that Frank in my life. I don't even know who he is."

"Don't try to fool me Cullen!" Now my last name, what was it with her today?!

"I'm not trying to fool you, damn it." I growled. "I didn't do it. And who is he to you, anyway?" Penny gasped, so did Vi and Liz. I was on the brink of just picking up my things and leave. What was wrong with everyone today? I was certainly not in the mood for this right now, not after two hours sleep.

"He. Is. My. Brother." Penny yelled.

"Do you have a brother?" I asked, stunned.

"Yes! You've met him! And Sarah Conrad happens to be a friend of mine!"

"How can you be friends with her?" I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

"Aurora!" Bee was taking classes at Esme's I know it. Nobody could sound that way except grandma.

"I've had enough of you, Aurora Cullen!" Penny screamed. No one had noticed that the teacher actually had entered the room. Sadly he wasn't the type to interfere when a couple of girls fought. "Not only are you arrogant and selfish, the only person you actually see is yourself. You couldn't care less that my brother actually had had a crush on you since he was twelve and would give the world to actually make-out with you in the locker-room. You couldn't care less that he was about to break up with Sarah just because he thought you might be interested after saying the things you said. Sarah's the best thing that has ever happened to him, and I doubt you could do anything than to suck the life out of him or any guy who unfortunate enough to fall for your curse.

You're always expecting the world to revolve around you, and for some crazy and disgusting reason we tag along. But I'm finished. I can't be your little worker anymore. I don't care if you're a Cullen, that's just letters.

You're too self-centred for your own good. You can't possibly have any friends who really care for you." With the last words she grabbed her bags and turned away from me. "Vi, Liz?"

With out a word, just glances, the girls stood up from their tables and followed Penny across the room where they sat down as far away from Bee and me as possible.

Tears were streaming down my face, I was so angry.

Who did she think she was?  
Who was she to tell me my faults? As if she hadn't the same problems herself.

And Liz? I'd always seen her as my favourite among those three, and I thought she liked me too.

Obviously not.

My knees weakened beneath me. It didn't matter how much I ordered them to move, to get me over there so I could beat her up, they wouldn't listen to me.

Soon my entire body was shaking, and I couldn't stop my crying.

"Aurora, you need to calm down." Bee whispered and tried to force me down on my chair again.

That I wouldn't do. I couldn't just sit here and stare at _her_ back, not for an hour.

"I got to go." I whispered. I reached for my bag, but Bee stopped me by grabbing my wrist.

"If you run now, you'll never be able to come back." She warned me.

"Maybe I don't want to come back." She let me go then, maybe she didn't want me to come back either. Maybe she was like Noah, didn't like what she was seeing.

Really not caring whatBriony thought, I stormed out through the door.

The teacher might take it as skipping the class, or he'd say I was sick.

I didn't care about that either.

The corridors were empty; all the classes had already started.

I paused a minute, sitting down on the staircase.

I wanted to find Noah, but I knew that he wouldn't comfort me, only tell me that Penny was right.

I shuddered.

When had my brother become so brutal?

I snorted at the answer that showed up in my head. When I'd become so self-centred.

So I decided to find somewhere where I could be alone for a while. Until the classes were over and Bee'd come to fetch me.

Maybe that was a bit too optimistic. Maybe Bee wouldn't come for me. Maybe she was tired of my behaviour like everyone else, and decided that she'd much rather hang out with the former workers.

But that wasn't Bee. We were family, for crying out loud. She wouldn't desert me, not for anything as small as this, and not when I was the one hurting.

I couldn't guarantee that I would do the same, but I hoped.

They were all right. I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. I was just about me. _But who else would I be about?_

I'd found a broom closet that had been left unlocked and was big enough to fit me and several others if I'd felt like throwing a party. Which I didn't. Nothing more sad than throwing a party in school, in a broom closet. Or, maybe there was. But right now I couldn't come up with anything.

Maybe I should send out a text, and show that Penelope that I had power, that there was loads of people who'd love to be my friends. I smiled smugly to myself, sitting on an up-side-down-bucket.

My logic failed a bit there. It wouldn't matter who'd send out the text.

My school was filled with teenagers. All teenagers loved a decent party, and wouldn't mind it being held in a broom closet.

They wouldn't care for two seconds who'd sorted it.

I just had to come up with some other way of getting my revenge.

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.

Maybe I should stop trying so hard.

I had Bee for all I knew. There wasn't any reason for me to fight and make life hard for everyone just because Penny had a weak moment.

Who knows, tomorrow she might be coming back, begging to be my friend.

Yeah, I smiled smugly. I could see that.

I almost fell off the bucket when the door flew open and three guys, most likely seniors, stomped in.

The lonely bulb in the ceiling dangled dangerously.

They all sat down on the floor or on other buckets. They noticed me, but surely wasn't sure how to acknowledge me.

"So, you're a Cullen right?" One of the said after a moment of staring. I nodded and got up again. "Why's it you're here? Want some spliff?" The one talking, a dark haired guy I'd never seen before pulled something out of his pocket and reached it over towards me. I shook my head.

I hadn't smoked it before, and this wasn't going to be the first, no matter how miserable I felt.

"Your loss." He murmured since the joint was between his lips as he tried to light it.

A thin line of smoke reached upwards, and the smell was soon overwhelming. Even though I wasn't smoking it, I could somehow feel the affect.

He shared the joints with the two other blokes, who grabbed them like hungry wolves, and then turned back to me.

"What are you doing here if you're not going to smoke?" He raised an eyebrow, examining me. "You do know that this is the smoke-hole right?"

"No I didn't. I don't hang around people who gets stoned."

"You don't?" He laughed. "How can you be sure?" I opened my mouth, but closed it again. I couldn't be sure. I got up from the bucket and started walking towards the door.

"Uh-uh, princess. Can't let you do that." He chuckled, stepping in my way.

It bothered me to no end that he used dad's nickname for me.

"Yeah?" I spat. "Why not?"

"Cause the smoke will reach noses and detectors. That's why." He waved towards the bucket. "Now, sit back down and silently wait until we're finished."

I sank down on it, turning away while crossing my arms over my chest.

Why was everyone rude to me today? Wonder if the twins knew these people, maybe I should call them and ask.

"Come on princess, you're ruining the mood in here." He couldn't shut up, could he.

"Mood for what? I didn't know you junkies were sensitive. What do you want me to do? Tap-dancing?"

He laughed, throwing his head far back.

"You're nothing special, you know that? Just one in 24."

"What do you mean by that?" I cried. He drew in the smoke coming from the roll between his fingers.

"I mean." He smiled like I was twelve. "That I don't understand the fuss everyone's making about you. Yeah, you might be a Cullen, your brother happens to be Noah Cullen, you happen to be related to the twins, but that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want, little princess. Yes, I've heard about your escapades." He chuckled. His friends kept quiet. They didn't seem the least interested in what we were talking about. The weed was far more captivating, apparently.

He leaned closer to me. Instinctively I backed off, only to find that I was already pressed up against the wall.

The smell of tobacco and something sweet hit me in my face when he breathed.

"Between you and me." He said, smiling that way again. "You're not even that pretty." He drew another drag and blew the smoke in my face.

"You have to be gay." I smiled. There was no way in hell I'd show him how offended I was.

"Maybe some day I will be. But as it is now, I'm very much straight, my love." I noticed a scar that reminded me of Anthony Stewart Head on his forehead. Maybe this guy's mother dropped him on his head when he was a baby. That would explain the messed-up eyesight and the need for weed.

I took a look around the small space.

But that would mean a lot of women drops their children.

"Who are you?" He laughed again.

"Just call me Luke. That's not my name, but everyone does anyway, so. It's a long story." He turned out the joint against the cement floor. "You can go." I practically ran to the door.

"Nice to meet you too." He called after me as I slammed the door shut.

I ran through the hall, heading for the door out to the freedom.

I wouldn't let what that guy said to me get me down. But I couldn't help but let it.

I sighed, sinking to the floor by my locker. This day had really turned to shit, all of it. I needed a self-confidence-boost. And I needed one quick.

"Hey, cuz, what're you doing on the floor?" The only time the twins saw me was when I was down obviously.

"If you are going to tease me, Leon, I suggest you're getting your ass out of here fast. I'm not up for any of your shit today."

"Wow, Aurora, it's not only your clothes that stinks. What would dear old uncle Edward say if he heard you talk like that?" Tiger clicked his tongue at me.

"Don't be such a hypocrite! And I do not stink." I turned my head and smelled on my sleeve. Okay, they were right. I stunk with spliff-smoke. Mom would definitely notice that. As if this day couldn't get worse.

Mom hadn't said what she would do to me if I didn't behave, but I was sure it had something to do with nuns and abbeys, and probably Switzerland. What a way to force your daughter into a straight line, huh.

"Okay I do stink, but don't blame me. It was that Luke guy who stepped in my personal bubble." I huffed, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Luke?" Tiger asked. "Luke as in I-think-I'm-so-tough-that-I-smoke-spliff-and-does-whatever-I-want-to-anyone-I-want-Luke?" Great definition, Tiger.

"Yeah, I don't know." I sighed and started digging through my bag after a chewing gum. "He only said his real name wasn't Luke, and I figured he was a senior or something."

"Yep, that's Luke." Leon slopped down on the floor beside me. "You know, Aurora, I don't know if you've noticed it, but there's this big, dark cloud hanging over your head and it's kind of pouring down on your pretty little head. What's bothering you?" I didn't want to talk about it, and surely not with him. But I just couldn't come up with anything good to say, I knew I couldn't lie to Leon nor Tiger.

"I'm… could you please get Bee, or Ava or Noah? I just wan to get out of here, but my place doesn't seem like such a great idea since mom will be home." I glanced up at Tiger who was still standing.

"Sure, give me a minute." He disappeared down the hall and left me by his brother's side.

"Were you just trying to get rid of the dim brother, or do you really don't want to talk about it?" Leon nudged me with his elbow, trying hard to force a laugh or a smile out of me. A little tug in the corners of my mouth was all I could handle.

"I really don't want to talk about it." He nodded but kept silent. Instead he started tapping on the floor and on his knees. He just wasn't able to sit still. I was sure he was about to bolt up in any second when he turned to me.

"You know, mom's home, and if you ask her I'm sure she won't say anything to Bella or Edward. Hell, I think she'll be happy to help you." I looked at him for a moment while I thought it through.

Rosalie was the woman in our family I was most similar. We weren't related by blood in any way, but she'd become something of a role model for me since she didn't take shit. After that time in Chicago I'd drifted further away from my mom, even though she was still my ideal, I could relate better to Rosalie.

If there was anyone I could talk to about this who'd understand me, it would be Rose.

"Is Emmett home?" I had to check. Today wasn't a day for his jokes. Sorry Emmett, I love you and all, but you know. Everyday isn't the best.

"No, dad's at the office doing whatever he's doing there." Leon smiled that way that let me see the dimple in his left cheek. "So, shall I call her?" I shook my head, and started to get back to my feet.

"No, I'll call her myself. Tell Tiger and whomever he brings that I've gone to your house. And I will definitely owe you one if you come up with anything to explain why I'm cutting the day." Leon was faster to his feat than I, can have something to do with him not wearing heals. He reached out his hand for me, and I took it, letting myself being pulled to my feet.

After a quick hug good-bye I left the still empty corridors.

I went by metro to the other Cullen house. I wasn't used to the subway, with my Lexus and all, but I liked it. It wasn't anything like the Metropolitan in Paris, or the Underground in London, but good enough. The only thing I didn't like was the stares girls like me get down there. Like we were on deep water, like we didn't know what we were doing stepping our feet on public ground.

Like I was that posh!

I glared at the people, mostly girls my age, who gave me dirty looks for my uniform and my real Chloë bag. If they only knew who I were!

And there I go again!

Did I want to be like this, or did I care less? I didn't know. I still had to think about that. If I wanted to become like Bee or Rose. Or if I wanted to be like mom?

Which one was the best? Which one would take me the furthest? Rose had been really successful, mom too, in their different styles. How Bee would be was only something maybe Alice could know, but I surely couldn't.

I got off the subway and walked up to be greeted by the sun. It didn't help anything to un-cloud my mentality, I was still in a really bad mood.

I remembered that I probably should have called when I'd already pressed the buzzer to the apartment. Too late for that now.

"Cullens." Rose's low voice, for a female, sounded like one of those women talking in your voicemail, or the GPS. Neutral and bored.

"Hi, Rose. It's Aurora. Can I come up?"

"Hey darling. Of course you can come up! Is there something wrong?" Her voice got a little more life through the buzzer when she was worried.

"It's nothing urgent, I'll take it upstairs." She said she was okay with it, and unlocked the gate for me.

Even though the apartment was practically my second home, I wasn't comfortable with just walking straight through the door like Alice would've.

I reached for the doorknocker and waited for Rose to open the door.

I didn't need to wait long before the door was swung open. Rose was wearing an old, incredibly large t-shirt, probably Emmett's, and a pair of jeans covered with grease and oil stains.

She had planned to spend another day in garage, apparently. Maybe she'd let me come with her later, but first I needed someone to talk to.

She made big eyes when she saw that I was still in my uniform. She made even bigger eyes when she noticed my hair and the mess it was in. She and Alice had done their best to raise me to always look my best as soon as I was leaving the house. Today I hadn't had time to do that, which was showing.

Then Rosalie's shoulders sank a couple of inches, and she looked at me like she knew exactly what brought me here.

"That bad, huh?" She pulled me quickly into a hug. I heard the door slam shut behind me, but I didn't care less since my face was buried in Rose's shoulder and the comforting smell of garage was filling my lungs.

She didn't let go of me as we made our way to the kitchen. She pushed me down on a chair and started to rummage about in search for something.

"Tea or coffee?" She asked, but then seemed to think again. "Tea." Rose was a mother, and a very overprotective one. She wouldn't let us, the kids, drink coffee, at least not us girls. Once we were old enough to question it, she said something about it discolouring your teeth. But mom had whispered in my other ear that Rose didn't want us to grow up too fast, and she saw coffee drinking as a very grown up thing to do.

"So." She said, turning back to me while the water was being boiled. "What happened?" I sighed. Where should I begin? As if she heard what I thought, she asked: "Was it this morning?" I nodded, and dove right into the things Penny had said to me, the way it made me feel and the result.

Rose kept silent the whole time, only nodding and listening. When the tea was finished, she placed a giant cup in front of me and went back to listening.

When I'd gotten everything out, she sipped her tea and looked straight at me.

"Why did you come to me with this? Wouldn't you talk with your mom about something like this?" I wondered for a brief moment if I'd done the wrong thing when I'd turned to Rose, but then regretted that thought. She was just curious.

"Well." I mumbled; a bit embarrassed about this. "I knew that something like this happened to you once, and I thought, well, that you might be able to give me some advice." I quickly lifted the cup to my lips so I could try to hide behind it.

"You're not wrong, Aurora. I suppose that Ava's let it slip one time." I shrugged, actually it had been mom, but Rose didn't need to know that. "When I was about your age, when Jasper and I still went to school in Texas, before we moved to Washington and met the Cullens and your mom, I wasn't really the nicest person." She slowed down at the end. I peeked at her over the edge of the cup. She was staring into the table, something very unlike her. "I still wasn't the first time I met Emmett, but I was definitely worse in Texas.

However, to make a long story short, I treated everyone, including Jasper, like shit and it came back and bit me in the ass. As in they all ditched on me, and Jasper being the only one left talking to me. But I've always known it only was because we were twins, he just couldn't leave me alone. That is who he is, I guess." Her eyes turned to me, and as I was unprepared I flinched a bit. Her blue eyes were sparkling with something I didn't recognise.

"So, my advice for you, Aurora, is to change. I've been in the situation you're in, as you describe it, and even though I know you'd be fine with just Bee and Ava as your only girlfriends, I'm sure you'll want to get to know other people too, not only your family. If you're the least like me, you'll want to get out there, be around people. You just have to know when to put your foot down, when to say to yourself that I can't carry on like this. Yeah, I know, there are those who say you should be egoistic, that's the way to be happy, but by being nice to people you are egoistic, since you want them to love you, to see you and to call you once in a while. It's all about not being alone.

And if that's what you want, not being alone, you'll have to stop acting all high and mighty and get down to earth." She sighed, got up and took the now empty cups off the table.

"Funny." I muttered.

"What is?"

"Noah said something similar."

* * *

What can i say?  
I love Rose too.

Tell me what you thought.

Review.

xoxo


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